Beyond Key

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the director of IT for ShelterPoint Life Insurance, a financial services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Beyond Key Systems?

We hired Beyond Key Systems to upgrade the software on a legacy payment collection and money application system.

What were your goals for this project?

Our billing department needed a web-based system that could efficiently handle the anticipated arrival of a new line of business. The platform needed a convenient UX so the billing department could manage premiums quickly and accurately.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had already established a long-term professional relationship with the team through their work on web-based applications, reports, and custom software development. Since this challenge was more critical than those before it, we took measures to ensure the team would be the best fit. We performed a risk assessment, a cost-benefit analysis, and focus group sessions with internal stakeholders. Approval from our higher management sealed the decision to hire Beyond Key Systems.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

Before beginning software development, the team ensured they understood the business logic rules. They reviewed the existing C code, documented the workflow, and identified potential improvements. During this review, they ensured their ideas for the target system were documented, shared with stakeholders, and verified. After this analysis, they defined the project plan and resource estimates.

The team rewrote the program code in compliance with our most recent business guidelines and required validations. They integrated the system with our document management platform to enhance the ease of printing notifications about payment follow-ups. They also implemented warnings to alert end-users about potentially incorrect or questionable financial sums. Throughout the process, the team produced many integrated reports to support significant decisions about the system. Beyond Key Systems also completed a run-time analysis to review the performance of the code.

What was the team composition?

The team included one project manager, one tester, one lead developer, and two other developers. After completing the initial development, we have continued to work with two developers and the tester.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Internal stakeholders have praised the new system for its increased efficiency. Our business received external recognition from an industry publication as a result of the project's success. 

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They executed tasks using an agile methodology and followed Scrum efficiently throughout the process. They were prepared for sprints and presented the solution after each iteration to stakeholders. The team did not miss any important deadlines and no major errors were found. In fact, the project was completed ahead of schedule, enabling the addition of extra features to the solution.

The amount of personnel required changed depending on the project stage, and the team easily adapted to these shifting circumstances. They also had a stellar communication style, consistently adjusting their work according to internal feedback and keeping stakeholders updated on their progress.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was amazed by their technical expertise and the team’s zealous support of our mission. They expertly followed instructions and adjusted to new business processes. They adapted to working on both Agile and Waterfall, as well as Hybrid methodologies. An excellent communication style supported their work throughout the project lifecycle.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There isn’t much they can improve on other than refining their technical documentation and presentation skills a little bit more.